Garland of Roses victress Hot Fudge has come out of her first stakes victory feeling great and is unbeaten since her return from a six-month layoff, with five wins in seven starts in her 2023 campaign; her next target is the $150,000 Interborough S. race on January 20.
‣ Hot Fudge, a horse trained by Linda Rice, has had a successful 2023 campaign with five wins in seven starts, and is reportedly in great condition after her first stakes victory.
‣ The next likely target for Hot Fudge is the $150,000 Interborough S., a seven-panel sprint for fillies and mares, scheduled for January 20.
‣ Two other noteworthy horses, Joey Freshwater and Arctic Arrogance, have recently returned to training with Rice, with the former expected to be ready for racing sometime in January.
Linda Rice, the conditioner, has some good news. Hot Fudge (Liam’s Map), the Garland of Roses victress, is feeling great. She’s just come out of her first stakes victory, and it’s all looking good. This victory came just eight days after she visited the winner’s circle in an optional claimer.
Hot Fudge has been unbeatable since her return from a near six-month layoff. Her 2023 campaign has been impressive, with the filly taking home five wins in seven starts. But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.
“We’ve had a few strange things happen with her when she was young,” Rice revealed. Then she had a great winter. Rice decided to give her the summer off, feeling she needed it. “She came back really well,” Rice added. “We wheeled her back on short rest, but once they’re older and more mature, it can work out.”
Hot Fudge’s next likely target? The $150,000 Interborough S., a seven-panel sprint for fillies and mares, set to run on January 20.
Joey Freshwater and Arctic Arrogance: Back in Action
Two noteworthy names have recently resurfaced on the work tab for Rice. These include GSW Joey Freshwater (Jimmy Creed) and SW & MGSP Arctic Arrogance (Frosted). Joey Freshwater posted his first work since failing to hit the board in the Salvatore M DeBunda Sprint S. back in August. He covered a half-mile over the Belmont training track in :50.40 this past Thursday.
Rice seems pleased with Joey’s progress. “Joey had three months off and he looks good,” she said. “He’s fresh. He should be ready sometime in January, not really any target yet. Maybe we’ll start him in a ‘two-other-than’ allowance and go from there. Baby steps.”
Arctic Arrogance, a presence to reckon with in the spring on New York’s Road to the Kentucky Derby, hasn’t been seen since his fourth-place effort in the GII Wood Memorial in April. He’d previously made a name for himself with three-straight runner-up efforts in the GII Remsen, the listed Jerome, and the GIII Withers S.
Arctic Arrogance returned to the tab Sunday with a half-mile breeze in :52.60. But Rice admits it’s going to be a slow process to get him back to the races. “The breeze was good. He’s on the fat side and was always hard to get weight off of, so he’s heavy right now. It will take us a little while. We’ve just got to get him going.”
